Using Einstein’s method to derive both the Planck and Fermi–Dirac distributions
Frank S. Crawford
Abstract
Frank S. Crawford
Abstract
Many quantum mechanics textbooks give the remarkable argument of Einstein wherein he introduces his famous ‘‘A and B coefficients’’ and uses detailed balancing to derive the Planck distribution for thermal photons. But it seems to be not widely known that the same approach can yield the Fermi–Dirac distribution for thermal electrons.
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Many quantum mechanics textbooks give the remarkable argument of Einstein wherein he introduces his famous ‘‘A and B coefficients’’ and uses detailed balancing to derive the Planck distribution for thermal photons. But it seems to be not widely known that the same approach can yield the Fermi–Dirac distribution for thermal electrons.
Key concepts: Physics, Planck, Planck's law, Einstein, Fermi–Dirac statistics, Photon, Planck energy, Electron